A review of solar photovoltaic panel cooling systems with special reference to Ground coupled central panel cooling system (GC-CPCS)

The efficiency of wafer-based crystalline as well as Thin film Solar photovoltaic cells get reduced with increase of panel temperature. It is noted that the efficiency drops by about 0.5% for increase of 1 degrees C of panel temperature. It is necessary to operate them at low temperatures in order to keep the PV module electrical efficiency at acceptable level. Therefore need for a low-cost cooling system for the Solar panels is felt. The cooling of Solar PV panels is a problem of great practical significance. It has the potential to reduce the cost of solar energy in three ways. First, cooling can improve the electrical production of standard flat plate PV modules. Second, cooling makes possible the use of concentrating PV systems. Finally, the heat removed by the PV cooling system can be used for domestic or industrial use. Various Solar PV panel cooling systems have been developed in past. A new system for cooling of Solar PV panels called the Ground-Coupled Central Panel Cooling System (GC-CPCS) is installed and operational at the Energy Park of Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV), Bhopal, India. This paper discusses various Solar PV panel cooling technologies and the testing and performance of the newly developed Ground-Coupled Central Panel Cooling System (GC-CPCS). This study is unique in three ways. First, it introduces the concept of Central cooling of Solar PV panels. Second, Ground Coupled Heat Exchanger is used for the first time in any Solar PV Panel Cooling System. Third, the testing is done on site under actual solar irradiance. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.